Book review: Slaves of the Mastery – William Nicholson

Last year I read The Wind Singer by William Nicholson and though impressed by the originality and sheer inventiveness of this novel, I only gave it four out of five stars.  This was only the second young adult or children’s book I had read after the “Harry Potter” and “His Dark Materials” series and I found it to be less accessible to me as an adult and more aimed towards the younger market.
In December last year, I visited Pizza’s blog and a couple of us were recommending books to each other.  One of Pizza’s friends, Kestrel, said that “the best book I'd say I've ever read is Slaves of the Mastery, the second book in the Wind on Fire trilogy”.  This really piqued my interest and I decided to give the author a second chance.

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I’m glad I did.  This is officially one of the best books I have ever read and it is certainly in my Top Five Young Adult Books list.  This book has it all – action, adventure, imagination, likeable characters, wonderful worlds and an excellent plot. 
The story takes place five years after the events of The Wind Singer and our protagonists are now 15 years old.  Aramanth is attacked and the Manth people are taken into slavery by the army of the Mastery.
Kestrel Hath is the only living person left behind and she embarks on a solo journey tracking her family and her people across the desert.  She is rescued by the people of the Gang who happen to be travelling in the same direction.
The plot involves great character development of both Kestrel and her twin brother Bowman.  It is a great story and a wonderful adventure and I will certainly reading the rest of William Nicholson’s books now.
William Nicholson is actually quite famous as a screen writer and you are probably familiar with his work including Shadowlands, Sarafina!, Gladiator, First Knight and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.  I am definitely reading more of his work in future and have even added a “William Nicholson” label!
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